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NATO DECLARATION KICKS UP KARABAKH ANGST
EurasiaNet.org
Sept 9 2014
September 9, 2014 - 5:07pm
The mention of Nagorno-Karabakh in a declaration issued by NATO members
at the conclusion of their recent summit in the United Kingdom has
sparked a fresh spat between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Allies "remain committed in their support to the territorial
integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and the Republic of Modlova," reads the September 5 statement.
NATO's reaffirmation of territorial integrity caused chagrin in
Armenia, while producing statements of gratitude in Azerbaijan.
Armenian forces wrested control of Karabakh from the Azerbaijani
military in the early 1990s: the two sides have searched in vain for
a political settlement since agreeing to a 1994 ceasefire.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan acknowledged that the wording of the
NATO declaration constituted a "small victory" for Azerbaijan within
the Karabakh context. When considering a Karabakh settlement, Armenian
officials have long emphasized the principle of self-determination
of nations, or at least its understanding of it, over the principle
of territorial integrity.
Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian criticized the NATO
declaration for having a "selective approach" that did not coincide
with that held by the Minsk Group, the international body that
oversees the long-running Karabakh peace process, according to a
report distributed by Armenian Public Radio.
While commending the NATO declaration, an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
spokesman took a swipe at the Armenian foreign minister. Nalbandian
"made it his business to justify the diplomatic failure of his
country," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdulayev.
In practical terms, NATO's declaration doesn't have much significance
for the Caucasus' longest-running territorial dispute. Armenia is a
member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-led,
anti-NATO bloc. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, is at best NATO-curious,
willing to cooperate with the Atlantic alliance only to the degree
that does not cross a line with Moscow.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/69911
EurasiaNet.org
Sept 9 2014
September 9, 2014 - 5:07pm
The mention of Nagorno-Karabakh in a declaration issued by NATO members
at the conclusion of their recent summit in the United Kingdom has
sparked a fresh spat between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Allies "remain committed in their support to the territorial
integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and the Republic of Modlova," reads the September 5 statement.
NATO's reaffirmation of territorial integrity caused chagrin in
Armenia, while producing statements of gratitude in Azerbaijan.
Armenian forces wrested control of Karabakh from the Azerbaijani
military in the early 1990s: the two sides have searched in vain for
a political settlement since agreeing to a 1994 ceasefire.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan acknowledged that the wording of the
NATO declaration constituted a "small victory" for Azerbaijan within
the Karabakh context. When considering a Karabakh settlement, Armenian
officials have long emphasized the principle of self-determination
of nations, or at least its understanding of it, over the principle
of territorial integrity.
Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian criticized the NATO
declaration for having a "selective approach" that did not coincide
with that held by the Minsk Group, the international body that
oversees the long-running Karabakh peace process, according to a
report distributed by Armenian Public Radio.
While commending the NATO declaration, an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
spokesman took a swipe at the Armenian foreign minister. Nalbandian
"made it his business to justify the diplomatic failure of his
country," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdulayev.
In practical terms, NATO's declaration doesn't have much significance
for the Caucasus' longest-running territorial dispute. Armenia is a
member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-led,
anti-NATO bloc. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, is at best NATO-curious,
willing to cooperate with the Atlantic alliance only to the degree
that does not cross a line with Moscow.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/69911